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Richmond Tigers vs Gold Coast Suns AFL Round 2 Tips - Suns make no mistake in 2026

Jeremy Darke

Editor

Last updated: Thu 19 Mar 2026 08:02

Jeremy Darke 19 Mar 2026

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Gold Coast expected to control the game from the start.
Tigers struggle predicted against strong Suns midfield and defense.
Best value bet: John Noble with 25+ disposals.
The game will be played at MCG on Saturday, 21st March, with the bounce at 1:15 PM (AEDT)

Richmond Tigers vs Gold Coast Suns AFL Round 2 Tips

Richmond Tigers vs Gold Coast Suns, Round 2 2026 - Expert Prediction

The Tigers were a bogey early last season for the Suns but that won’t be the case in 2026 with the Gold Coast expected to start fast and control this matchup from the first ball up.

Richmond Tigers vs Gold Coast Suns, Round 2 2026 - Expert Prediction
Head to Head Stats
Richmond Tigers Form Analysis
Richmond Tigers Team News
Gold Coast Suns Form Analysis
Gold Coast Suns Team News
Richmond Tigers vs Gold Coast Suns Team Lists
Richmond Tigers vs Gold Coast Suns AFL 2026 Round 2 FAQ’s

Richmond put an end to the Gold Coasts’ perfect 4-0 start to 2025, but don’t expect Damien Hardwick to get pants again by his former club. The Suns are clearly a different beast in 2026 and they will make an early statement on this game just as they have done in their opening two contests of the year, leaving nothing to chance.

The Tigers put up a fight against Carlton in a very unpolished game in their first of the season, but the opponents cannot be compared.

The Gold Coast will control possession and keep the ball in their forward starving the Tigers of any chance of staying in the match early. The 17.5 half time margin will be managed by the Coast by keeping the Tigers below a team total of 36.5 points.

Valued props for the Suns are a tough find after their blowout wins but a gem in the rough is John Noble who has had 25+ disposals in his opening two games and also in both against the Tigers last season. Getting the $1.87 feels like the best value in a starved props market.

The Suns have led by an average of 52 points at the end of the first half against Geelong and West Coast.
The Suns have averaged 77.5 first half points in their opening two matches of the season
The Gold Coast have conceded an average of 25.5 points in the first half in their opening 2 matches.
John Noble averaged 28.5 disposals against Richmond last season (2 games).

Head to Head Stats

Richmond broke the Suns 4-0 streak to start the season last year winning 80-69 in Round 6 at Marvel Stadium. The Gold Coast got their revenge by beating the Tigers by 84 points in round 21.

The Suns have won 6 of the last 7 against the Tigers with 7 of the last 8 matches between the pair going under the game total.

Richmond Tigers Form Analysis

Richmond came within a kick of upsetting Carlton again in their 2026 opener, coming back from a 29-point deficit to fall agonisingly short 75-71.

The result could have been dramatically different if spearhead Tom Lynch was a little more dialled in with the former Sun kicking 2.7 in the match after battling heavily in the forward 50.

Tim Taranto led the Tigers with 29 disposals, 7 clearances and a goal assist, while Jayden Short steered the backline also with 29 disposals and also sneaking up for a goal.

The match was scrappy but the Tigers found their way into the match again and that has to account. How they compete this week will be a good gauge of how their offseason has been.

Richmond Tigers Team News

Nick Vlastuin (conditioning) and Mykelti Lefau (club suspension) are cleared to come in this week.

Don Prestia may be included also, but is likely to return from his hamstring injury in the VFL.

Gold Coast Suns Form Analysis

The Suns hold firm as the favourites to win the flag after another dominant first half performance against West Coast in Round 1, leading 13.6 (84) to 3.4 (22) at the main break. The Gold Coast then took their foot off the throttle but still walked away with a 59-point victory.

Christian Petracca took all the votes again with his 23 disposals along with 4 goals and 6 clearances, while Noah Anderson had more touches than any Sun with 34 disposals. Ben King was once again efficient in front of goal with 5 majors and 1 behind.

The Suns midfield is creating plenty of scoring opportunities, ranked second in the AFL with an average of 65.5 inside 50s per match. Their backline has also been very difficult to crack, especially in the first half of matches. Between the midfield and backs the Suns rank third in the AFL with 74.5 intercepts per match.

Gold Coast Suns Team News

After being ruled out with hamstring tightness late last week, Bailey Humphrey is a good chance to be included this week.

Richmond Tigers vs Gold Coast Suns Team Lists

Richmond	POS	Gold Coast Suns
N. Balta, B. Miller, N. Broad	B	C. Ballard, S. Collins, B. Uwland
S. Banks, J. Short, N. Vlastuin	HB	J. Noble, M. Andrew, D. Rioli
H. Ralphsmith, J. Ross, K. McAuliffe	C	L. Weller, W. Powell, S. Clohesy
S. Campbell, D. Prestia, M. Rioli	HF	T. Miller, E. Read, W. Graham
S. Lalor, T. Lynch, H. Armstrong	F	B. Humphrey, B. King, L. Lombard
T. Nankervis, T. Taranto, J. Hopper	FOLL	J. Witts, N. Anderson, C. Petracca
M. Lefau, J. Trezise, S. Green, T. Brown, S. Grlj	I/C	A. Davies, J. Jeffrey, B. Long, J. Rogers, Z. Uwland

Richmond Tigers vs Gold Coast Suns AFL 2026 Round 2 FAQ’s

How to watch Richmond Tigers vs Gold Coast Suns AFL 2026 Round 2?

You can watch the Richmond Tigers vs Gold Coast Suns AFL 2026 Round 2 game via Fox Sports or Kayo Sports. If you are watching from outside of Australia the WatchAFL app is the perfect solution.

How to buy tickets to Richmond Tigers vs Gold Coast Suns AFL 2026 Round 2?

To buy tickets to the Richmond Tigers vs Gold Coast Suns AFL 2026 Round 2 game check the AFL website or the official Richmond Tigers site.

Verdict

Richmond Tigers v Gold Coast Suns

The Suns will start fast and cover the 17.5 point handicap in the first half by holding the Tigers under 36.5 points before the break. John Noble is the best value with 25+ disposals.

Gold Coast -17.5

First Half Handicap

$1.90 - 3 Units

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Richmond Under 36.6

First Half Team Total

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John Noble

25+ Disposals

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